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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30039591">a cloud of mist</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/luwoosans/pseuds/luwoosans'>luwoosans</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - FBI, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Trauma, Confessions, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, FBI, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kinks, M/M, Modern Era, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Pining, Road Trips, Romance, Serial Killers, Sex, Sexual Content, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:35:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30039591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/luwoosans/pseuds/luwoosans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Agent Choi San of the FBI's behavioral analysis unit thought that this was going to be just another case, but when the prime suspect is his childhood friend, Jung Wooyoung, unresolved feelings threaten to jeopardize the case. Soon, this case becomes bigger than San or his team can imagine and he may need to rely on Wooyoung to help him close this one. Too bad, just the mere act of looking at Wooyoung sent San into a swirl of hate, anger, heartache and pain.</p><p> </p><p>or </p><p>san and wooyoung are emo and "hate" each other but not really and also there's a serial killer and they go on a roadtrip to try and catch him and have wonderful, emo, mindblowing sex</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi San/Jung Wooyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hiiii!!!<br/>So this is my first ever actual long fic and I'd highly appreciate comments to motivate me to keep going and get me on the right track haha!<br/>First, I will be updating tags as I go so please make sure to check them out if you come back to this fic :)))<br/>Second, this fic is actually based on the real life case of Israel Keyes so there will be a lot of similarities and also a lot of things I make up as I go to better fit my story but he is the basis of this case (he is a scary dude so don't look him up if you get scared easily by that stuff)<br/>Third, while I do have some knowledge of forensics, there's a lot I don't know so I will be embellishing that part of it too!<br/>Thank you so much for your support in advance &lt;3</p><p>I created a new twitter for my fics!! if you wanna follow me im at @woosanteas</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>San’s heart was heavy with grief after handling the parental notification for Alice Williams. As soon as he reached Ojai, a little town a couple of hours north of Los Angeles, he went straight to the Williams’ house. The Ojai sheriff's office was so small that no one was actually trained on how to give a death notification, they hadn’t needed to give one for 93 years. San wasn’t surprised when he saw that the department consisted of a sheriff and three deputies all crammed in one room, a tiny jail cell and a slightly bigger interrogation room. San could see the faint outline of someone sitting in the interrogation room.</p><p> </p><p>The sheriff met him with a steaming cup of coffee and San thanked the powers that be that the surly man anticipated his need for caffeine. The sheriff, muscles taut with tension, worry lines streaking his features launched into a rundown of what they know immediately, “Alice was reported missing at 8 am on February 2nd, when her coworker showed up to open the coffee cart she worked at and found it unlocked without a trace of the 19 year old. Her purse was on the ground, items scattered everywhere. We were able to extract surveillance from a neighboring convenience store that showed her being robbed at gunpoint and forced to get into a white pickup truck. The perp’s face was never revealed to the camera but I sent it to your crime techs in Quantico to see if they’ll be able to glean anything off of it.”</p><p> </p><p>San nodded, Mingi had already told him he started on the surveillance videos on the way here, “Who’s in your investigation room?”<br/>The sheriff turned to the direction of the room, “He’s our only lead. The surveillance caught a black BMW sedan drive up to the coffee cart. He got out, looked around a bit and left a few minutes after. We asked around and Alice’s friends said he’s a new friend of hers and has been picking her up after work every day. We were thinking he was a new boyfriend. He never reported her missing to anyone so we figured we’d bring him in for you.”<br/>San gathered himself and stood, “Good job, sheriff. I can take it from here, you guys all look like you could use some sleep, you should head home and get some rest.”</p><p> </p><p>The deputies shifted in their seats, clearly eager at the prospect of rest but the sheriff hesitated, anguish and exhaustion painting his expression, “We all know each other here. Alice is… was… one of us; she was like my daughter.” The sheriff’s gaze hardened as they fastened on San’s, “I want to see this son of a bitch behind bars, Agent San.”<br/>San reached out and squeezed the man’s shoulder, “I will do everything in my power to make that happen and I’ll need your help so I need you well rested. Take the afternoon, boys.”<br/>The sheriff nodded ascent and soon San had the room to himself. Once again, San lamented the fact that Hongjoong made him lead on this case and sent him alone, San wasn’t really good at being alone. It left him with his thoughts for far too long and often ended up with his nights being spent with random people just to avoid being lonely. He sighed and stepped into the room with the suspect.</p><p> </p><p>San froze.</p><p> </p><p>San had seen a lot of things over the years in his tenure as an FBI field agent, and had prided himself on expecting the most unforeseen of circumstances but nothing could prepare him for this.</p><p> </p><p>Jung Wooyoung sat in the chair across from him, suspect in Alice Williams’ murder. He was still slender, a graceful, lithe body that seemed to paint the area surrounding him with every movement. He was still a little shorter than him, standing at five foot eight approximately. His face was fair and clear, his cheekbones and jawline were even more pronounced than they had been all those years ago and it only accentuated his full lips and sparking, doe eyes. His hair was long, dark and curled around his jawline giving his face an even slimmer look. His beautiful, little birthmark he used to hate so fervently still rested proudly on his face right underneath his eye. Right now, Wooyoung looked just as shell-shocked as he felt right now.</p><p> </p><p>Nostalgia coursed through his veins for a second until the barrage of memories from their past accosted San’s mind. Instead, icy hot rage filled his brain wiping his memory of years of composure training in the moment he really needed it, “I’m not surprised you’ve killed again, Jung Wooyoung.”<br/>San didn’t bother reassuring him, putting all his effort schooling his scowl into a neutral expression, “I’m the one asking the questions, Wooyoung and right now the question I want answered is where were you from 8 pm to 10 pm on February 2nd?”<br/>Wooyoung shot San a derisive look, “Are you interrogating me? Are you a cop now?”<br/>San felt the cold in his veins frost over, “Special Agent San, at your service. Let’s just say I was motivated by too many evil mistakes being let go.”</p><p> </p><p>If Wooyoung was affected by San’s words, he didn’t show it, he just pulled out his chair and sat across from San, “Well, Special Agent San, I was shooting for my documentary that night. You can confirm with my cameraman and the footage is time stamped. Now, will you please tell me what the hell is happening and why the hell I’m here?”</p><p>San slid one of Alice’s pictures to Wooyoung, “Do you know this girl?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s Alice. She’s working with us on the documentary. She knows so much about the area, she’s been a big help. Why? Why are you asking about her?”<br/>San pointedly ignored Wooyoung’s questions, taking some pleasure in the discomfort the other man was feeling, “When’s the last time you saw her?”<br/>Wooyoung's demeanor shifted from mildly irritated to distressed, “What do you mean? A few days ago, she showed us around one of the site’s we were filming and I dropped her off at her house at like 9.”</p><p> </p><p>San glared at him, “What does a few days ago mean? Be exact. Is there a reason you chauffeur her around?”<br/>Wooyoung huffed, “February 1st was her last shift she worked, she doesn’t drive so I pick her up and take her home, she had a shift on the 2nd but she wasn’t at the coffee shop and wasn’t answering her phone so I figured she had to ditch last minute for a date or something. Why, what’s happening? Is she okay?”</p><p> </p><p>San didn’t say anything as he slid the picture of her face from the autopsy towards him. San zeroed in on the younger man’s reaction. He didn’t actually think that Wooyoung could have done what was done to this girl but he still needed confirmation. Wooyoung was an exceptionally gifted actor but San didn’t think Leonardo Dicaprio himself would be able to fake the shock that crossed man’s face in this moment. San saw a few tears form in his eyes and as much as he wanted to see Wooyoung suffer, he was a federal agent and he wasn’t a sadistic person so he swiped the picture back and hid it.</p><p> </p><p>“We have your car on surveillance showing up to Alice’s workplace and leaving a few minutes after. She had already been abducted at that point. Why didn’t you report her missing?”<br/>Wooyoung threw his hands up in exasperation, “I don’t know, I didn’t really have time. I wasn’t thinking, I had to be at the site in twenty minutes and it wasn’t the first time Alice was a no call no show. It never even crossed my mind that she could be,” Wooyoung paused and San could see that what happened to Alice had finally hit him, “that she could have been hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>A quiet sob wracked the younger man’s chest bringing back an unwanted memory buried deep within San. San buried it even farther down, “There was probably nothing you could have done.”<br/>“I thought you weren’t surprised I would… kill again,” Wooyoung tried his best to sound snarky but choked on the latter part of the sentence.</p><p> </p><p>In these moments, when Wooyoung was coming to terms with what happened to Alice, San’s brain was doing mental cartwheels trying to understand how every nerve ending on his body was on fire, the coffee he had earlier was threatening to come up and yet he still didn’t think Wooyoung could have done this. If anything, he was too pretty. Wouldn’t want to get his hands dirty, so to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to need the tapes from February 2nd and the contact info for your alibis. Fair warning, this is a small town with very little visitors. In fact, you’re the only visitor in town right now and they have her DNA in your car and a voracious need for closure. I’ve seen even the best cops fall to tunnel vision in circumstances like these, they may be gearing up to pin this on you.” San delivered the message in as neutral a tone as he could although part of him was almost hoping Wooyoung gets arrested; he wanted him to finally pay for what he did but he swore an oath to seek justice and only justice and so he cut him loose with a curt goodbye.</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung started rushing out the door, only to pause and turn to San, “What am I supposed to do now? Should I go back to work? Hide in my hotel room? How do I handle this, San?”<br/>His voice was soft and pleading, echoes of the past sneaking into his timber and once again, San buried it deep, “Agent San. And that’s your responsibility.”</p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung had no clue what to do now. His car was confiscated by the police, he tried getting coffee but judging by the look the barista gave him, she spit in his drink and above all, the lead investigator was Choi San. Even his name made his chest contract. Wooyoung couldn’t believe that the universe conspired to make their paths collide once again, despite praying every day and night that that chapter of his life would never be reopened. Tears threatened to spill as he walked through the quiet streets of Ojai. Wooyoung was never good at controlling his emotions and right now, the memories San’s presence has unearthed and the fate of the sweet girl he’d come to know and cherish for the last few weeks was gone and he was being implicated in the crime.</p><p> </p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung remembered the first time a situation like this arose. He had felt just as helpless then as he does now, with San hating him just as much then as he does now. Five years later and San was still just as striking. His hard edges only became harder; the once lean, undefined nooks and crannies of his body, are now sharp ridges and sinewy length. His suit was fitted and when he took off his jacket, he rolled up his sleeve showcasing a scar Wooyoung knew nothing about. His midnight hair was longer, framing his newly acquired jawline perfectly. Or maybe not newly acquired. Wooyoung didn’t know. What he did know was that Special Agent Choi San, once his best friend and favorite person in the whole world, had no qualms about seeing Wooyoung go down for a crime he did not commit.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, after walking for what seemed like forever, the teardrops fell in heavy waterfalls as he slid down the side of a random building thousands of miles away from home.</p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>San sat in the interview room relishing the complete silence after Wooyoung left. He always made it a point to try and process everything he saw in the day as soon as possible; with a job like his, it took everything in him and weekly therapy sessions to keep his emotions in check. San had a harder time at it than anyone else in his unit.</p><p> </p><p>Some of them were masters at it, like Yeosang, who knew exactly how to project a perfectly neutral demeanor whenever delivering the autopsy report with complete accuracy and Jongho, who kept everything ordered in perfect impartiality. Despite their impeccable demeanors, San knew that the second they were alone, both agents could be found at the shooting range and the running track trying to come to terms with the horrors they were subjected to each day. Some of them had to learn through years of experience how to see what they saw on a daily basis and still hold on to their will to live, like Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Seonghwa was the reason San committed so fully to his therapy sessions, he had been like a mentor to San since he started at the academy and from the start he’d advocated for them. And then there were the rare ones; the ones who believed that wearing their emotions on their sleeve made them a stronger agent like Mingi and Yunho, they were the heart of the team and oftentimes, the driving force behind their unit. San thought that Wooyoung would have fit in perfectly with them if things had played out the way they thought they would back then. But San didn’t have the time right now to process how he felt about seeing Wooyoung again; he had a call with the team in a few minutes to go over the autopsy report.</p><p> </p><p>San pulled out his lighter and flicked it on and off, over and over and over, the flame capturing his attention. He’d picked up this habit years ago and whenever he got stressed - which was often - he brought out the only unwavering thing in his life, the flame of a lighter.</p><p> </p><p>The trill signalling the video call sounded on his laptop; he let the flame die and schooled his features once again. The other six members of the team came to life side by side in tiny little boxes on his screen. Even though he was thousands of miles away, the sight of his team still brought San a sense of relief. Hongjoong directed Yeosang to report his autopsy finding and San could see the blonde man collect his thoughts and steady his breathing, “Time of death was between 11 pm and 1:30 am, there is evidence of trauma to her vaginal cavity but no DNA evidence was left behind. The cause of death was asphyxiation, bruising on the neck indicates the perpetrator used their own hands,” Yeosang paused and held a picture to the screen, “It appears the victim was also branded with a key. The team is currently running it through the tattoo recognition database and against recent crimes and seeing if it comes up with anything.”<br/>San leaned closer to the screen to get a better look, “What could cause a mark like that? Is that a real key?”<br/>Jongho spoke up, “We did find trace amounts of nickel-brass in the skin where it’s branded so it's likely the perpetrator heated up a key and used pressed it to her skin to make the indentation. I’m also working on analyzing the insects at the scene to try and narrow down the time of death a bit more but a lot of damage was done due to the terrain she was left in.”</p><p> </p><p>Although Hongjoong was the leader of their unit, he always expected case leads to take control of every aspect, including these video calls. San nodded and signalled Mingi’s attention, “Do you have any updates?”</p><p> </p><p>Mingi was typing away furiously, eyes never leaving the screen as he reports to San, “Yes, actually. The security tapes actually show someone returning to the crime scene at the 10:47 pm mark. The figure is seen rummaging around, picking up something and leaving in less than two minutes.”</p><p> </p><p>Yunho took over, “I estimated the perpetrator’s height to be around 6’2 and approximately 200 pounds based on the footage and the figure that returns later to the scene matches the description so it's safe to assume he came back for something. Perhaps a mistake he remembered making.”</p><p> </p><p>“I got it!” Mingi exclaimed, “He came back for the victim’s cell. I just subpoenaed her phone records and it looks like two outgoing texts were made from it on the night of her abduction and murder. One sent out at 11:04 pm and one sent out at 11:57 pm. The first one was to her mom saying she was staying over at a friend’s.”<br/>Seonghwa spoke for the first time during the call, “That’s the one that actually alerted her mother that something was wrong. The text said she was staying at Alicia’s but there aren’t any Alicias’ in Ojai. Do you think the killer could have asked Alice for a friend’s name, found out she lied and killed her because of that? If he went back for the phone, something tells me this may have been a kidnap for ransom situation especially since her family was known as one of the most affluent families in the greater area.”</p><p> </p><p>The team pondered the idea for a minute. Breaking the silence, Hongjoong, the bureau’s leading behaviorist and this team’s esteemed leader, weighed in, “In other circumstances, I would agree but it’s not typical for kidnap for ransom perps to sexually assault their victims. Oftentimes, they’re only in it for the money and if they panic and kill someone it wouldn’t be something as slow as strangulation. It would be impulsive and quick like a gunshot or stabbing. Plus, the branding is too personal - it feels like he’s marking her. My guess is he was short on money and needed her pin to her card and that's why he went back. Yunho, run down her financials and let us know what it looks like.”<br/>Yunho immediately turned to his task leaving the rest of the team to hear San’s findings.</p><p> </p><p>San cleared his throat, giving him time to adopt a voice of neutrality, something he desperately needed considering he was going to have to bring up Wooyoung now, “I agree with Hongjoong, nothing about this screams ransom to me. I’m guessing the text had more to do with buying himself time with the victim rather than arranging a ransom drop. Plus, if it were about money, from what I’ve gathered from the town’s folk, the Williams’ were by far no where close to the richest families in town. They were upper middle class at best.”<br/>Yunho held up his hand to the screen, almost like he was asking permission to speak in school. San smiled, yielding the floor to him.</p><p> </p><p>“It looks like Hongjoong was right, there are ATM withdrawals from Alice’s accounts staring at 2:25 am and ending at 3:15 am. He made three stops, the last one was one town over from Ojai and that’s where the card declined. In total, he withdrew $800 from her accounts. And yes, before you ask, there is security footage that I have just sent Mingi’s way. Just from a glance, it looks to be a match for our perp’s height and weight.”</p><p> </p><p>San sighed, “I take it there’s no good visual on his face.”</p><p> </p><p>Yunho winced, “No. It’s like he knew exactly where each camera was. He even avoided the ATM camera by lowering his head and pulling the hoodie further down. There is a truck in two of the shots, though. The license plate was covered by some sort of fabric but I have a make and model. A white Toyota Hilux looks either 2004-2006. Jongho has the ERTU team analyzing the image to try and narrow down any more details about it.”</p><p> </p><p>San didn’t know whether or not to be relieved that the vehicle in question was not Wooyoung’s BMW. At any rate, it didn’t do much to rule him out although the height and weight was dramatically different. The margin of error couldn’t be that bad, Wooyoung was 5’8 and maybe 135 pounds but circumstantial evidence or not, Wooyoung was still the sheriff’s department favorite suspect - albeit for a lack of any other suspects.</p><p> </p><p>Mingi looked up from his screens, face shrouded in glowing light, “I’ll analyze the security tapes frame by frame and let you know what I find.”</p><p> </p><p>San nodded, “Thank you. There wasn’t much evidence at the scene but looking at the scene and the time frame of the kidnapping, I don’t believe this was a first time offense. I think whoever did this has done this before. Seonghwa, if you can, try searching the national databases for any crimes that have similar MOs. There’s a reason this guy just got on our radar, I don’t think the crimes will be in the federal database, I think smaller sheriff’s offices will have these cases.”</p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa nodded, “Do you have any suspects? Anyone in town ring any bells?”</p><p> </p><p>This was it. Moment of truth, “So far everyone in town has been clean but I’m only about halfway through the residents. There is one outsider. It looks like Alice was working on a documentary out in the Ojai mountains. The director was supposed to pick her up from her day job before going out to site but when she didn’t come out of the coffee cart, he just left and didn’t report her missing. The sheriff really likes him for this but it’s important to note him and his crew are the only outsiders in town.”<br/>Seonghwa nodded; being the team’s liaison he knew how tricky it was to navigate the dynamics of a small town and how sometimes it could get in the way of an unbiased investigation, “What’s the suspect’s name? I’ll run him down. Have you interviewed him yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>San could feel his heart beating in his chest, an image of Wooyoung barely holding himself together sitting in the interrogation room coming to mind, “Yes, I have. His name is Jung Wooyoung.”</p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa’s face snapped up in recognition but quickly settled into an unreadable expression. He was the only one on the team that knew about San’s past and the people in it. San knew he recognized the name, he just hoped Seonghwa would refrain from explaining the connection to the rest of the team.</p><p> </p><p>Hongjoong spoke, catching San’s attention, “And what did you think? Do you think he’s capable of being a killer?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. chapter two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>as always comments and kudos mean a lot to me :))they motivate me to keep going but let me know what you think of this chapter!!<br/>also its not really going to be overrun by sadness, this chapter was a lil sad but i plan on leaning heavy on some cute bonding moments coming up hehe</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Just like San had expected, Seonghwa sent him a request for a private video call the instant the team had logged off. San didn’t bother maintaining his composure anymore - he knew Seonghwa could see through it in a heartbeat. </p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa’s image flared up on the screen, blonde hair styled to perfection in a flawless swoop. Seonghwa was a striking man; all hard lines and edges, high cheekbones and deep set, expressive eyes and yet he never seemed to recognize just how entrancing he can be. </p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa broke the silence, “Jung Wooyoung? Any relation to one Wooyoung you might know?”</p><p> </p><p>San told Seonghwa everything, the weight of the day rushing out of him with abandon, “I don’t know how this could have happened. He was the last person I ever expected to see here and now and in this situation out of all things. He knew the victim, he should have been the first to notice she was missing and of course he just doesn’t do anything about it. I mean he has to be a special kind of idiot to not think, <em> Oh maybe something is wrong since the coffee cart is wide open and Alice isn’t there </em>. No! He just leaves and he’s probably going to get nailed to the cross for this. He’s just as much of an idiot as he was five years ago. Nothing’s changed.”</p><p> </p><p>San exhaled, the breath knocked out of him in a fit of anger. Anger at Wooyoung at getting himself in such a stupid situation again, “You know what’s funny Hwa? It’s that I'm not even surprised he’s in this situation. He’s always been a magnet for bad luck, getting in the stickiest situations constantly by no other virtue than wrong place, wrong time. Every step he’s taken has been marred with missteps and chaos.” </p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa gazes at San, sympathy shining in his eyes, “From his files, he seems to be doing pretty well with his docuseries. He won a plethora of awards and has made a decent amount of money doing it. He has an apartment in LA and travels the world for a day job. Doesn’t seem like bad luck to me.” He said it in almost a questioning manner, like he knew San was going to enlighten him on what was written between the lines in his file. </p><p> </p><p>San scoffed, “Have you read the whole file?”</p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa shook his head, “Just skimmed the most recent parts of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll sum it up for you. Wooyoung was born into a family of four; loving mother and father, an older brother he worshipped and himself. When he was seven, he woke up to the smell of smoke and heat creeping into his brother’s room. He had snuck in there to sleep with him because he had a nightmare. He shook his brother awake and they tried to open the door but when they touched the doorknob, it burned them. It was already too hot to handle. The room was on the second floor so both boys just tried to hide in the closet, hoping that someone would come save them.</p><p> </p><p>"Wooyoung’s brother started coughing vehemently; the smoke had started entering his lungs and Wooyoung,” San paused, a shudder running through his body, the memories of the drunken night that unveiled Wooyoung’s childhood threatening his composure. He steadied his voice but he still could barely raise his voice above a whisper, “Wooyoung. Seven year old Wooyoung got up and in an adrenaline filled fit punched and broke the bedroom window. He grabbed his unconscious brother and leaped out the window. He’s always been a fighter, no matter the case he <em> fought </em>,” San’s voice cracked, his facade of neutrality breaking bit by bit, “The paramedics were stretched thin that night; a pile up on the interstate taking up most of their resources so by the time they made it to Wooyoung’s house, his brother had died in his arms. The report said the paramedics found a-,” San shuddered, tears finally falling, “It said a tiny child covered in cuts and nicks sustaining a broken arm and leg was found clutching the body of a fifteen year old boy, refusing to let go.” </p><p> </p><p>San looked up and noticed the misting in Seonghwa’s eyes for the first time and it brought some relief to him. Seonghwa has always tried to teach him that emotions were not a weakness, that in most cases they were strength. They kept you going. So he never shied away from displaying how he really felt and in this moment as San struggled to keep his tears from developing into sobs, it made him feel validated.</p><p> </p><p>San has hated thinking about Wooyoung’s past for the past five years. He hated when his heart broke so deeply for Wooyoung and he was forced to forget that he hated him. He hated that there was still a massive part of him that could never hate him; that would always look at him and see the strong, resilient, beautiful and broken man he had come to care so strongly for. He hated thinking that the only reason San became an FBI agent was to keep people like Wooyoung’s father off the streets and keep more little boys from being orphaned in the blink of an eye. But most of all, he hated that the little boy in question grew up persevering through what San could only describe as a continuous series of unfortunate events and what happened five years ago being no exception. He hated that yet again, Wooyoung was about to have another tragedy fall at his feet and San wasn’t going to be able to do anything to help him just as useless for him as he’s always been. </p><p> </p><p>“It didn’t take the cops long before finding evidence the father had shot Wooyoung’s mother once as she slept and proceeded to light the house intending to kill them all. A search into his financials revealed that the family was deep in debt with no visible way out and psychologists presumed that he felt no other way out other than to take all of their lives. And that’s just where the dire unraveling of Wooyoung’s life begins.” </p><p> </p><p>San took a moment to breathe, in and out. Underneath the table he started flicking the lighter on and off steadying his mental state, “Seonghwa, he can’t get arrested. Even if all the evidence points to him not doing it, even if they can’t prove he did it, they could just have him sit in a jail cell for god knows how long for a trial and I… I just can’t sit here and watch it happen. Not without doing anything. I need your help, please.” </p><p> </p><p>Seonghwa nodded, “I’ll call the sheriff's office later on today and do my best to steer them away from him and keep them from making any hasty mistakes. In the meantime, I need you to find out as much as you can about where the body was found and possibly why the murderer chose that place to dump her. It’s a pretty isolated area and from what I can tell it’s almost impossible to get there even with off road vehicles.”</p><p> </p><p>San agreed and signed off on the call, feeling only a slight bit lighter than when he started it. He packed up his things and headed out to the coffee shop next door to the sheriff’s office to ask around about who could direct him through the desert terrain the town was surrounded by. </p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung’s head was the clearest it’d been all day. He had his moment of weakness and now it was time to get himself out of his mess. He sure had a knack for getting himself in trouble, even if he was innocent but  just like every other cosmic fuck up in his life, he picked himself up by the bootstraps and got to untangling the knots. Frankly, Wooyoung didn’t have time to sit around and mope. His documentaries were taking off and life was finally looking up for him and a conviction even if it were false would ruin his career and he was not going to let the fates fuck with him again.</p><p> </p><p>He came to the only coffee shop in town to organize his thoughts; gather his alibis and create his defense. Some would say Wooyoung was jumping the gun but he knew his track record and he was smart. He studied law alongside finance and filmmaking, originally so he didn’t have to hire anyone to work on the business side of his productions, and now he was grateful he had suffered all those hours in school to achieve those degrees. He knew how fast things could turn over when a small town was scared and there was only one outsider in the mix. Well, there was one more now. </p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, San walked into the cafe and headed straight to the counter. His eyes looked blood-shot from where Wooyoung sat, he surmised San must not have slept much recently. He watched San talk to the barista he suspected had a crush on him, if the endless free refills and the winks were evidence enough. Back in the police station, it rattled him how much San had changed. The San he knew was warm, fun, loving and carefree. He always smiled and always made a point to stop and smell the roses growing alongside Wooyoung’s building. Wooyoung had loved that about him. This San was cold, detached and utterly devoid of the raw passion for life San used to possess. Still, Wooyoung could still see some of the more familiar aspects of San. Whenever San got frustrated in tests, with people or anything really, a tiny little vein on the side of his forehead popped in and out and he started mimicking motions of flicking on a lighter if he couldn’t get to it. Wooyoung could see San’s hand itching to get to it. </p><p> </p><p>San must have felt Wooyoung’s stare seeing that he turned and caught his eyes. Wooyoung smirked and beckoned him over. He figured he’d try to squeeze him for information on where the sheriff’s mind was at. </p><p> </p><p>San looked understandably hesitant but ultimately made his way over to his table, coffee in hand.</p><p> </p><p>“I hate small towns.” He muttered as he sat. </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung laughed, “What’s wrong? Did you get rejected? Sorry about that, I heard she has her eyes set on me.” </p><p> </p><p>San scowled, “Not in the way you’re thinking. No one in this damn town knows how to navigate the desert terrain, they’ve lived here their whole life and no one thought it might be a good idea to figure out the safest way to get out to the dunes.” </p><p> </p><p>Opportunity screamed at Wooyoung, this was exactly what he needed; a chance to see the drop off location himself, “Sure, no one in town could do it but I can. Afterall, those dunes are the only reason I even came to this godforsaken place.” </p><p> </p><p>Somehow San managed to scowl even deeper, “You need to work on not implicating yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung shrugged, “You and I both know having the knowledge to get out there is circumstantial evidence at best.”</p><p> </p><p>San shook his head, “I’m not taking you out there with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, over the years San might have gone a little stupid too, “Let me rephrase that Sannie, I am literally the only one that can take you out there in at least a 100 mile radius so it’s not like you have a choice. Clock’s ticking on the offer and remember, I can just go alone. Sure, you know exactly where the body was found but I know the way around I can easily search the area.” </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung found the defeat in San’s eyes a literal exhilarating, “Don’t call me Sannie. Fine, but only so I can assess myself if you have anything to do with that crime scene.” </p><p> </p><p>Ouch. </p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung was one of the most annoying passengers he’d ever had the displeasure of having. When he wasn’t condescendingly telling him about all the wondrous (read: boring), scientific (read: extra boring) things about the Ojai valleys and dunes, he was telling him about true crime cases. San found it odd that Wooyoung having lived through a true crime case would end up addicted to hearing about them but Wooyoung was always a little eccentric like that. So far, San had learned about Bryce Laspisa; a college kid that disappeared without a trace after exhibiting odd behavior for a couple of days and Angela Diaz, a pathological liar that tried to frame her husbands ex for stalking, attempted rape and parole violation but got caught. He was rambling about the civil lawsuit the ex wife was filing when he finally told him to stop the car. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to have to walk from here.” Wooyoung said, eyeing the flag an officer had planted to mark the scene, “You’re going to have to stay close to me there’s quicksand up ahead and you do not want to get caught in it.” </p><p> </p><p>“What makes you think I trust you enough not to push me in it on purpose?” San muttered. He thought he hadn’t said it loud enough for Wooyoung to hear but the way Wooyoung’s head snapped up, eyes livid making it clear he heard it. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ve made your stance on my involvement in this very clear but you do not have to make this more difficult with snide remarks. Just shut up and stay by me before I leave you here for dead.” </p><p> </p><p>Apparently over the years, Wooyoung might have gone a little stupid. How could he think San thought he was guilty if he’s out here with him at a crime scene, alone with no one around for miles. He sidled up to Wooyoung and followed his lead.</p><p> </p><p>It took them about twenty minutes to hit the crime scene and every step of the way, San cursed this stupid desert. He was sweating profusely and yet Wooyoung seemed pristine, only a little shine to his skin to show for wear. It just made San even more irritated. Wooyoung stopped a few feet away from the flag and looked up at the dunes nearby, inquisitive. San looked back and realized whatever footsteps they made were gone, which meant that the perp was either incredibly lucky or incredibly smart. The look on Wooyoung’s face looked like he was definitely incredibly smart. San hated the smart ones, they were always so god damn smug. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you thinking?” </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung looked surprised that San was asking his opinion, “Who found the- Who found Alice?”</p><p> </p><p>San shrugged, “A couple of tourists experiencing the dunes. We cleared them pretty fast. Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know if her body was posed?”</p><p> </p><p>San was taken aback at the question; for one, she actually <em> was </em> posed and for two, it sounded like Wooyoung was actually onto something, “Yes. He erected a makeshift pole here and strung her up to it. Her hands were positioned like she was praying.”</p><p> </p><p>“He wanted her to be found.” Wooyoung asked. “You see that particular dune over there?”</p><p> </p><p>San nodded, following his trajectory. </p><p> </p><p>“That dune is where most travelers who set out here attempt to reach, it gives you a fantastic view of the land across the acre. He had to have known that to place her here, posed like that. Any other part of the dunes, she could have gone decades without being discovered but he placed her here. It was on purpose.” </p><p> </p><p>San found that he agreed and again, found himself surprised Wooyoung could deduce this from the scene but the surprises didn’t stop there.</p><p> </p><p>“He wanted to display her like she was a piece of art. Like she was <em> his </em>masterpiece and he was ready to showcase her. The discovery of her is just as important to him as the act of murder itself. If I were to guess, I think this guy views himself as an artist - completely disassociating from the identity of a murderer.” Wooyoung continued, staring at the dune above them, “He probably knew my crew was here and thought we’d eventually come here, maybe even get the discovery on film. He must have not known the specifics of our schedule though, we already filmed here a few weeks ago.” </p><p> </p><p>San was thoroughly impressed; Wooyoung had made it worth his being here ten times over and San was almost glad he got basically bullied into bringing him along. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you know anyone in town that seemed to know about the dunes?” San asked, everything in his body screamed local to him - there was too much about the scene that aided him that only a few people would know. </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung shook his head and started heading towards the car, “No, not really. In fact, they seemed to know so little about them that they can’t even effectively utilize them as a tourist trap. The town barely has enough money to sustain themselves and all the resources to grow but does nothing. I had a meeting scheduled with the mayor to tell him how to preserve the land and still make some money from it but he cancelled after- you know.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are really smart.” San blurted, he was just shocked at how much of the world Wooyoung seemed to know about. He was smart back then but this was like he had elevated and maybe collected ten degrees in the meantime. </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung smiled softly, almost bashful in his expression, “I had to stand out to be anything. I was a scholarship kid at an Ivy League school so I needed to prove myself to everyone which meant I took the maximum amount of classes I could and in everything I could possibly manage while graduating on time. I double majored in Environmentalism and Film with minors in Finance and Accounting. I got a degree in law after that. They don’t tell you how much of a law degree involves psychology courses too; I’ve basically got the DSM-5 memorized!”</p><p> </p><p>The more he talked the more excitable Wooyoung got and the more like his old friend Wooyoung he seemed and San couldn’t help but feel a fondness creep into his heart. San was so engrossed in this train  of thought, he hadn’t realized the twenty minute walk back to the car was over and that he never stopped to think about how hot or sweaty he was. He never stopped thinking about how he was enjoying the conversation. </p><p> </p><p>On the way back, Wooyoung told him about how his readings and classes informed his opinion on the perp and San told him about the Academy’s classes on the same topic. They had some similar classes, they concluded but Wooyoung’s memory was ten times better than San’s. </p><p> </p><p>San was laughing at a story Wooyoung was telling about one of his mock trials in law school when they hit the town border and finally got reception. His phone started blowing up with notifications of missed messages and missed calls. San parked the car quickly sensing urgency in the situation. He picked up his phone and all the messages read the same. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Another body has been found. Report immediately. </b>
</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. chapter three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>San called Hongjoong the second he read the text, “There was no cell service at the body dump, what’s the rundown?”</p><p> </p><p>Hongjoong didn’t waste much time responding with the full report of what they know, “A female body was found off of the Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Santa Clarita. There’s not much information about the scene at all so I want you there ASAP. It looks like it’ll take an hour to get to Santa Clarita, Can you hit the road now?”</p><p> </p><p>While Hongjoong was talking, San noticed Wooyoung waving frantically at a highway exit coming up. Swerving sharply, he made it with meters to spare. San wasn’t sure why he took it, though. When Hongjoong prompted him to answer the question again and focus, San forced his attention back, “Yes I can. Sorry, I was inputting the location into GPS. I’ll call you when I have more to report.”</p><p> </p><p>He heard Hongjoong grunt in acceptance, “We don’t know if the murders are connected yet so go into it with an open mind but look for the hallmarks.” </p><p> </p><p>“Is the coroner not there yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“No. It sounds like it’ll take hours to get someone there without disturbing the scene but it looks like the kill was recent. If this is the same perp, he knows what he’s doing picking the most inconvenient isolated places to leave the victims. Unfortunately, no possessions were found with her so that means a delay on the ID as well.” </p><p> </p><p>“How could she have been found so quickly if it's so isolated?” San asked, with Wooyoung’s thoughts on the murderer's choice of location fresh in his mind. </p><p> </p><p>Hongjoong paused and San knew he wasn’t going to like what he was about to walk into, “You’ll see when you get there.”</p><p> </p><p>San hung up and looked at Wooyoung, “Is there a reason we had to desperately take that exit?”</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung nodded, “If you had missed that exit, it would have added twenty minutes on to the trip to Santa Clarita.” </p><p> </p><p>San noticed how grim Wooyoung’s face had gotten; it didn’t matter how many cases he’d learned about and his own personal nightmares he’d lived through, Wooyoung wasn’t used to be so surrounded by innocent people's lives being savagely taken away from them. San wasn’t sure he was used to it for that matter, “And you just decided you were going to accompany me for what reason?”</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung’s expression hardened, “I know the Placerita Center well, I filmed there for my last documentary. I could be useful.” </p><p> </p><p>San kept his sight trained on the road in front of him, doing his best to sound neutral, “I guess this means you’re not much of a viable suspect now. You’ve been with me and in that coffee shop all morning.” </p><p> </p><p>San tried not to let the relief he’d felt knowing there’s a big chance Wooyoung was going to be cleared soon seep into his voice but even if it did, he wasn’t sure Wooyoung would have even picked up on it. For all of Wooyoung’s confidence, he seemed to have an immense amount of self hatred and San found himself wanting to rid him of it, just like he wanted to back then. </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung shrugged, “I wish my innocence didn’t have to come at the price of another girl’s life.” </p><p> </p><p>San could hear the self blame in Wooyoung’s voice, just as strong as it was back then and he couldn’t help but wonder how much blame and guilt the beautiful boy has carried with him since the fateful day that tore them apart years ago, “He would have killed again if you were involved and if you weren’t. This isn’t about you, it’s about his sick, twisted mind.” </p><p> </p><p>“You sound awfully chipper for someone who lost his ticket to closing this case quickly,” His voice was laced with his signature self loathing. </p><p> </p><p>San recognized this tactic too. Dry humor had been Wooyoung’s preferred choice of deflection since they’d met. In this moment, it hit San how much of Wooyoung he knew and cared for, it hit him how much he missed his presence over the years. It hit him that despite the fact that they hadn’t seen each other for five years, he already felt a lot less alone with him by his side and he was astonished at how Wooyoung really seemed to believe his act for hating him. Of course, this was what San wanted, he had promised himself years ago he’d never care for Wooyoung again and even if he knew he was lying to himself, Wooyoung didn’t need to know. </p><p> </p><p>It was getting harder the more he spent time with his former friend, “Wooyoung, I had to do my job. I had to come in unbiased or I would risk being taken off the case. It doesn’t mean I necessarily thought you did it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you? Think I did it?” Challenge flared in his eyes, edges hardened. </p><p> </p><p>San took a deep breath, he wasn’t sure how to respond to this. He wasn’t sure how to explain that when he remembered what happened, he got so angry that he could believe Wooyoung could do anything including murder but when he was calm and when he was rational, he knew the deep purity that has always ruled the younger boy’s heart. He still wasn’t sure so he just settled for the easiest response, “No. I didn’t.” </p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung still stared at him, steely eyed despite San’s insistence on focusing on the road, “Do you think I killed him? Do you think I killed Yeonjun?”</p><p> </p><p>San lost control over the wheel. And if it wasn’t for instinct taking over, the car would be permanently embedded in the highway railing. They had danced over this topic years ago and they’ve been dancing around it all day but he never expected Wooyoung to ask him point blank, he never thought Wooyoung had the courage to hear the answer. But now here they were, the question suspended in the air, tension palpable and Wooyoung waiting for an answer. An answer San knew would hurt him and break whatever temporary peace they’ve been fostering. An answer that has plagued San for all these years and an answer he wavered on whenever he let himself think of Wooyoung. Whenever he let himself think of the resilient young boy that survived the worst of traumas, the steadfast teenage boy that lived in an abandoned building for years evading social services but somehow still attending school and becoming valedictorian of their year. Whenever he let himself think of the exquisite young man he’d given his first kiss to. Memories of the Wooyoung he knew were assaulting San from every corner of his mind and he knew he was losing control of himself when he felt tears form in the corner of his eyes. So he did the only thing he could to regain control; the only thing that would let him maintain his charade. </p><p> </p><p>He hurt Wooyoung.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. I do.” </p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung was silent for the rest of the car ride. San’s head was telling him he did the right thing but the second he saw the hurt flash in his eyes, his heart constricted and San found himself struggling to breathe. Wooyoung for his part didn’t let any other emotions show on his face. He schooled his expression and leaned his head on the window, within seconds, he was asleep. So now, San was left alone with his thoughts and he could feel himself spiral. </p><p> </p><p>Memories of Wooyoung were still racing through his mind and now that Wooyoung was asleep, San let himself go. </p><p> </p><p><em> T </em> <em> hey were all drunk. They were so very drunk but San still reached for the bottle of vodka chilling between the best friends. The firepit was burning strong so he was pleasantly warmed and the boy tucked in his arms only made the night even better. Wooyoung was touchy when he was drunk and San secretly loved it. San didn’t like letting people know how much they affected him and how much sometimes all he wanted was a simple touch to let him know he had people there for him, that he had their support and their love. Wooyoung was currently tucked into the crook of his neck, his scent - hints of pine, citrus and pure allure - was overwhelming his senses and everything was spinning and soon the only thing he could think about was Wooyoung.  </em></p><p> </p><p>San let the memory wash over him. He let the whole scene play out in his head, he let the emotions rush back into his system thinking maybe, just maybe if he let that part of his life back in he’d be able to process it better. </p><p> </p><p><em> T </em> <em> hey stayed like that for a while. San’s arms around Wooyoung, Wooyoung drifting in and out of sleep as the fire blazed. Yeonjun was laying by the log next to them with his current fling, Kai was his name he thinks, laying between his legs. Kai was also fast asleep, head on Yeonjun’s chest.  </em></p><p>
  <em> Yeonjun broke the silence, “Wooyoung?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wooyoung stirred, mumbling, “Yeah.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yeonjun was practically whispering, voice soft and hesitant, “Can I ask you a question?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wooyoung nodded, lazy.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How come we’ve never met your parents?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wooyoung stiffened instantly. San’s vision cleared with the movement and his arms tightened protectively around the younger boy. He could see Wooyoung start to squirm in his arms and he could hear his heartbeat pick up exponentially. He traced circles on Wooyoung’s chest and press down lightly with every complete circle, like his mom had used to do for him when he was younger. The silence stretched but Wooyoung slowly calmed within San’s arms.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> San whispered in Wooyoung’s ear, “You don’t have to tell us anything.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wooyoung detangled himself from San’s arms and took another swig of vodka, “I want to.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wooyoung told them everything. He told them what his father did, how he survived and how he was the only one left. How he was alone. By the time, he was finished, his eyes were red with unshed tears. By the time he was finished, both Yeonjun, San and even Kai had tears streaming down their face. The image of Wooyoung trying to save his older brother was forever seared in his mind and when San made it home that night, he stayed up until the bright hours of the morning reading everything he could on the case. He even found pictures of a young Wooyoung clutching a teddy bear with ash all over it being carried out of the scene by an officer. He saw how Wooyoung clutched the officer’s hand and how the officer had his hand protectively shielding Wooyoung from any more of the horrors the EMTs were wheeling out. San knew in that moment what he wanted to be. He never wanted another person to live through what Wooyoung did and if they did he wanted to be there to help them - to save them.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>San didn’t know when he started crying but by the time he noticed, his vision was getting blurry and his lap was wet with his tears. Realizing he was only a few min away from the crime scene, San rushed to dry his tears and center his emotions but the memory didn’t fade. It just played over and over again until he finally parked the car and forced himself to snap out of it. </p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung never fell asleep, the sound of San’s tears plaguing him. </p><p> </p><p>******************************************************************************</p><p> </p><p>San shook Wooyoung awake and readied him for what they were about to see, “Are you sure you’re okay with this? Seeing a dead body can be really traumatic.”</p><p> </p><p>“You think?”</p><p> </p><p>San cringed, realizing the mistake he made. If anyone would know how traumatic that would be it would be Wooyoung. He cursed himself and tried to amend his mistake, “Alright. Stay by me, I’ll just say you’re my consultant.”</p><p> </p><p>Wooyoung nodded, silent. San was really regretting what he said in the car, the more he missed the sound of Wooyoung’s voice. They stepped out of the car and followed the officer up a tiny hill, he stopped abruptly but there was no body in sight. </p><p> </p><p>“Where’s the body, officer?” </p><p> </p><p>The officer looked up and pointed. </p><p> </p><p>And there, on a billboard that overlooked the entire state park was the body of a woman; she was dressed in a sheer, floral gown, legs bound together. Painted around her was a river, hair meticulously placed in a halo around her face to appear like she was floating. Thorny vines wrapped around the entirety of her body, tiny pools of blood staining the areas she was pricked.</p><p>San instinctively looked to Wooyoung to check if he’s okay but Wooyoung’s sight was fixed on the scene. His eyebrows were pinched, mouth sour. </p><p> </p><p>“Ophelia.” He whispered. </p>
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